Upon returning to the inn, I headed straight for the ducal family’s suite.
Arone ushered me inside at once and led me to the table where the four of them were gathered.
"Welcome back, Ryoma-san."
"Welcome back."
"Welcome back. It sounds like you had quite a day."
"You must not be too reckless, now."
It seemed they had already heard about the day's events.
"Thank you, everyone. Actually... there is something I would like to discuss with you all."
Their expressions tightened at my serious tone.
"What is it? Please, speak your mind," Reinhardt said.
"What happened so suddenly, Ryoma-san?" Elia asked, her eyes clouded with anxiety.
"I have made a decision regarding my future," I began. "You have all taken such wonderful care of me, but... I feel it is time for me to leave your company and become independent."
The moment the words left my mouth, Elia sprang from her seat and rushed over to me. The other three remained seated in silence.
"Why are you saying this so suddenly?!" she cried.
"I realized that if I stay like this, I’ll end up relying on your kindness forever and stop growing as a person. Over the last two weeks, I’ve found myself becoming complacent, accepting your generosity as if it were my right. I need to stand on my own two feet and retrain my spirit."
"If you wish to train, why not come with us?" she pleaded. "We have plenty of instructors who could guide you..."
"If I stay with you, I know I will just end up depending on you again. That is why I need to distance myself for a while."
At that, Elise spoke up. "By 'for a while,' you mean this isn't a permanent goodbye, right?"
"Correct. It isn't because I've come to dislike anyone that I'm leaving. Once I've trained myself to a point where I'm satisfied, I would love to see you all again—if you’ll have me."
"Of course we will!" Elise exclaimed. "Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with relying on us, you know? You're only eleven years old—it’s the age where a child should still be living with their parents. If you ever change your mind, we’ll welcome you back with open arms!"
"Mother?! You aren't going to stop him?"
"Elia, it’s not as if we’ll never see Ryoma-kun again. Just as you are going away to school, Ryoma-kun wants to pursue his own studies. Though to be honest, I don't think it's necessary. If anything, I think what he needs most is to be pampered."
"Now, now, Elise. Hadn't we already talked this over?" Reinbach interjected.
"I know, I know. I’m not opposing him; I’m just giving my opinion."
Talked it over? About what?
"Um... what do you mean by 'talked it over'?" I asked.
Reinbach and Sebas were the ones to answer.
"To tell you the truth, we predicted you would say something like this almost from the moment we arrived in the city," Reinbach said. "I’ve lived a long time, after all. I’ve seen many youths like you—colleagues, subordinates, and even enemies. We won't stop you. However, do not overexert yourself. Even if you are capable of great effort, if you do not learn the value of rest, your hard work may wither before it can bear fruit."
"Ryoma-sama, you may feel as though you were being spoiled, but we didn't see it that way," Sebas added. "It is true the Ducal House provided lodging and meals during our journey, but that was the extent of it. Despite being in an unfamiliar city, you registered with the guild and worked diligently on your own. You behaved as if such independence was only natural. Because of that, we knew you would eventually bring this up. Though, I must admit, it happened much sooner than we anticipated."
Reinhardt picked up where they left off.
"Looking at you sometimes reminds me of a close friend of mine. Your personalities are polar opposites, though. You are incredibly serious, while he is completely irresponsible. He’s always trying to dump his work on subordinates so he can sneak away... I’d be in trouble if you went that far, but you could stand to learn a bit from him. You need to rest occasionally, leave things to others, or rely on those around you, just as Sebas and my father said. Things often turn out better that way. My friend certainly manages to make it work."
Their words were incredibly moving. I hadn't realized they were watching over me with such care. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face again.
"Thank you... very much."
"There’s no need for that," Reinhardt smiled. "In exchange, however, I want you to make a few promises. First: it's fine to strike out on your own, but you must eventually return to us. The world is a dangerous place, especially for an adventurer. Don't go dying on us, and make sure to come show us your face from time to time."
"Second," Reinbach said, "you must send us letters regularly. Report on what you've been up to. If it sounds like you're being reckless, I shall send a stern warning your way."
"Failing that, I shall use Space Magic to pay Ryoma-sama a direct visit," Sebas noted.
"And third," Elise added firmly, "if anything happens, you are to rely on us without hesitation! This is non-negotiable! Ryoma-kun, your knowledge, magic, and combat skills are already top-tier. I’d hire you into the Ducal House this instant if I could, so if you ever run into trouble, remember that there is always a place for you to work with us."
I was at a loss for words. "Thank you" didn't seem like enough, but I lacked the vocabulary to express the depth of my gratitude.
"Ryoma-san."
I looked at Elia as she stepped closer. She looked me straight in the eye.
"I haven't had many opportunities to do things together with someone my own age until now. It’s disappointing to see you go... but if this is what you’ve decided, I will respect it. However!"
She pointed a finger at me, declaring her terms.
"I am adding a condition of my own!"
"...A condition?"
"In addition to the three conditions from my father, grandfather, and mother, here is one more: we shall reunite in three years, and again in six years!"
"Three and six years? Why then?"
"I told you before, Ryoma-san—I’m heading to the Academy in the Royal Capital this year. It takes six years to graduate, but we get a long holiday after the first three years as a milestone. So, let’s meet then. Until that time, I’ll be devoting myself to my studies and magic so that I can grow as well."
I see. That made sense.
"I understand."
"Good. And if you get so absorbed in your research that you forget, I won't forgive you!" she said, narrowing her eyes at me. She wasn't wrong to worry; I did have a habit of losing track of time when I found something interesting.
"I will do my best not to forget."
"That’s where you’re supposed to say 'I won't forget' with confidence! Honestly..." Elia sighed, though she looked somewhat relieved.
Reinhardt chuckled and asked, "So, Ryoma-kun, have you decided what you’ll do next?"
"Since I have my slimes to look after, I think I’ll stay in the area surrounding this city. I’ll live as an adventurer here, training myself while maintaining my social connections."
"I see... In that case, would you be willing to take on a job for me?"
"What is it? If it's within my power."
"I want to hire you as the official Manager of the abandoned mine you're currently clearing. Even though it’s only been empty for a year, there are far more monster nests than we anticipated. It isn't good to have monsters breeding so close to the city. I want you to patrol the mine regularly and cull any nests you find. If a task is too big for you alone, you have the authority to post a request at the guild. We considered caving in the entrance, but Cave Mantises just dig through the earth to make nests anyway, so it wouldn't help much."
"If that is all you require, I accept."
"Thank you. In return, you're free to use the mine however you like. It's remote enough that you can train or fire off magic without bothering anyone."
That sounded perfect. It was a place where I could build a home, stay close enough to the city for supplies, and have the privacy I needed for slime research and ingot production. It was more valuable to me than a cash reward.
"This is a fair trade," Reinhardt continued. "Some of the monsters that nest there can be quite dangerous if left to breed. Normally, the Town Office would manage the site, but they’ve been negligent. Since I’m appointing a new administration anyway, I’d rather hire someone I trust. By letting you use a site that has no value to the city or my family, I save on management costs and don't have to pay a separate salary. It’s a win-win."
I suspected his logic was a bit of a stretch—the new Town Office leadership would surely have handled it—but I appreciated the sentiment. Reinhardt saw my skeptical look and gave a wry smile.
"Good grief, you really are too serious. You worry about the little things too much. Look, if you make ingots there and sell them to us, we'll make a profit too. Just don't push yourself too hard."
"I understand. I will give it my all!" I decided then and there to set a monthly quota for Serge-san’s shop. It was the least I could do.
"You don't have to be that enthusiastic... Anyway, as for your living arrangements, you will stay here at the inn until we depart."
"No, I couldn't possibly..."
"It wasn't a request," Elise interrupted firmly. "I thought we’d have much more time to travel together, but you’ve gone and made this decision so early. Consider this a final decision!"
"We’ll only be here for another month or two at most," Reinbach added. "It won't be too late to start your training after that. A little rest will do a workaholic like you some good."
I felt that if I didn't refuse now, I’d just keep being pampered...
"Staying here won't count as being pampered, Ryoma-sama," Sebas said, as if reading my mind.
"Ryoma-kun, it was written all over your face," Reinhardt laughed.
"Your expressions are very easy to read!" Elia added.
Was I really that transparent?
"In any case! You are staying at this inn until we leave Gimul! Understood?" Elise asked.
"But..."
"Understood?"
"Still..."
"Understood! It's settled!"
Elise clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer. My resolve crumbled. Was my willpower always this weak?
"I understand. I will accept your kindness until you depart the city."
"Wonderful! I’m so glad," she beamed.
In the end, I couldn't turn them down. I didn't want to spurn their kindness, and truthfully, having people care about me this much made me happy.
I thanked them once more and retreated to my room.